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2026 ISSA Playoffs, Steve Susi's Class 2A Playoff Analysis and Picks. This
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Everlet. Round of 16 matchups. Eastland Pearl City,
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six and five versus Piotone, eight and two. Some might think Eastland
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Pearl City's presence here is a surprise, but few teams are more
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battle tested than a team that has to run through a Newark
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schedule as the Wildcats have been tough as nails thus far. Pietone's
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only losses come at the hands of Wilmington and Coal City, and
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the Blue Devils have the blueprint of a strong running game and
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gritty defense that should make them difficult to dispatch. Pick Pietone. Tri-Valley
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9-1 vs Wilmington 9-1. These two programs have run into each other
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an awful lot lately, including last year's 49-7 drubbing by Wilmington in
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the quarterfinals. Wilmington has won four of the last five meetings between
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the two teams going back to 2021, with Tri-Valley's 2022 victory sparking
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a run to the Class 2A title game where it fell to
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Decatur St. Teresa. Pick Wilmington. El Paso Gridley 10-0 versus
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Warren'sburg Latham 8-3. El Paso Gridley held an opponent under 10 points
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for the seventh time this season as it flattened Stillman Valley in
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the opening round of the playoffs. Warensburg Latham is aiming to win
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a third playoff game in a single season for the third time
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in school history. The last time came in 2016. Pick El Paso
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Gridley. Aurora Christian, nine and one vs. At Maroa Forsyth, nine and
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one. Aurora Christian has simply handled its business all season long. Its
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lone setback came at the hands of Bishop McNamara, and the Eagles
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have come out clean in a number of close games. Meroa Forsyth,
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last year's Class IIA title game representative from the South Bracket, now
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finds itself getting acquainted with the teams on the other side of
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the bracket, and didn't have much trouble with the first one dispatching
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Oregon. Pick Moroa Forsyth. Johnston City 10-0 vs Newton
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7-3. Johnston City once again was dominant in the Black Diamond Conference
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and hopes to carry those efforts into a deep run. If that
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happens, it will likely be thanks to a defense that is allowing
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8 points a game to opponents. Newton lost three of its first
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five games, but flipped a switch on offense in the second half,
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and the Eagles will try to ride that momentum now. Pick Johnston
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City. Nashville 8-2 versus Vandalia 8-2. It's the postseason,
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so it isn't surprising to see Nashville playing its best football of
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the year. The Hornets are in the midst of a five-game winning
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streak, which included beating rival DuQoyne twice in three weeks. Vandalia hasn't
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seen much resistance to scoring points this season, putting at least 28
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points in every games, and going for 40 or more in five
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games. Pick Nashville. West Frankfurt, 9-1 vs. Auburn,
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7-4. West
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Frankfort
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has cranked up its offensive productivity over the past few weeks, scoring
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47, 44, and 56 in its first round win over St. Teresa.
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Auburn was 2-4 through its first six games, but has now strung
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together 5 straight wins, riding a rejuvenated offensive attack that has one
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over 50 points three times during that stretch. Pick West Frankfurt. Flora,
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9-1 vs Shelbyville, 4-7. Flora's only loss was to undefeated Johnston
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City, and they haven't really been pushed in any of their nine
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victories, and that's thanks in large part to a defense that simply
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doesn't give up much. Shelbyville continues to make history, becoming just one
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of three 2-7 teams to win a playoff game, and after last
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week, the only 3-7 team to win another one. Shelbyville looks like
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an entirely different team that only won one regular season game on
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the field. Its other win was a forfeit. Pick Flora.